1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computer networks and power saving systems. More specifically, it relates to remote power control of devices and appliances using location-based data.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the cost of power increasing every year, consumers are becoming more sophisticated with regard to controlling power to devices and appliances in their home, workplace, and other environments. For example, consumers often use timers and sensors for controlling when to supply power to appliances. However, present power-saving systems are inefficient at managing power to device and appliances. Motion-based sensors often rely on a pre-defined range or direct contact with the sensor. Time-based systems are not sufficiently flexible; they simply turn devices on or off based on time, which may vary by day. Sensor-based power solutions, such as thermal sensors, often rely on direct contact with physical bodies (i.e., with a human being) or ambient objects, which may be unsuitable in situations where a user would like an appliance to be powered on at a certain time that is coordinated with the user's arrival time.
Moreover, consumer power preferences or power profiles are not portable. They are often tied to a particular location. Users who often like to have their power-consumption preferences, that is, preferences as to when they would like their devices powered on or off, travel with them or be portable. Furthermore, existing sensors control power to devices based on times and days set in a schedule that may change based on real-life events where a user might use a device, not when the user actually needs the device. Time-based systems simply follow a set schedule and control power to devices regardless of whether the consumer is there to use the device. As noted, other sensor-based power control systems rely solely on user presence or an ambient condition, and thus are not suitable for devices or appliances that are preferably powered on a certain time before the consumer is ready to use them, whether that time be one hour (such as with air conditioning units, heaters, etc.) or a few minutes (file servers, media center PCs, and the like).